Automatic safety-valve for gas-supply pipes.



No. 8303-719". .PATE-NTED SEPT.'11-, 1'906.

A. W. JBNGZEWSKY.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY VALVE FOR GAS SUPPLY PIPES.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG.21, 1905.

w dZ/msses aways of gas from the main UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOL'PH W. JENCZEWSKY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY-VALVE FOR GAS-SUPPLY PIPES- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1906.

Application filed August 21, 1905. Serial No. 275,055.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLPH W. JENozEwsKY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticSafety-Valves for Gas-Supply Pipes; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specificati on.

This invention relates to an automatically. acting or self-closingsafety-valve intended to be applied to a supply-pipe for illuminatinggasat a point Within a house or building and adapted to close the pipeagainst the assage in case a fire occurs within the said house orbuilding.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and moreparticularly pointed out in the'appended claims.

In applying my invention I provide the gas-supply pipe within the cellaror basement of the building between the gas-meter and the point wherethe pipe enters the building with a valve having a movable part orclosure so constructed that ithas a tendency.

to assume a closed position either by force of gravity or by means of anactuating-s ring, together with a support for the c osure adapted tohold the valve normally in its open position and embracing a supportingmember which is destructible by heat and is located outside of thevalvecasing, and means for keeping normally closed the opening in theouter wall of the valve throu h which the support for the closureextends, the Whole being so constructed and arranged that when thedestructible supporting member is melted by heat or otherwise broken thevalve-closure will be released and effect the closing of the valve.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view incentral longitudinal section of'a valve embodying-the pre ferred form ofmy invention. Fig. 2 is a view, partially in elevation and partially incentral longitudinal section, of a valve embodying an alternative formof my invention. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred form ofsupport, composed of strips of sheetiron connected by fusible metal.

As shown inFig. 1 of saiddrawings, illustrating the preferred embodimentof my invention, A indicates a pipe leading into a building from agas-main, A a pipe leading to a gas-meter or to the supply-pipe, and Bthe valve-casing connecting the ends of the pipes A and A. Said casing Bhas a, vertically-arranged conical or tapered valvechamber B, whichextends transversely across the main passage through the valvecasing andis provided in its lower part with opposite lateral ports B Bconstitutin parts of said passage. The casing isclose at its bottom by acap Bf. Within said valve-chamber is'located a conical valve-plug C,which is movable vertically in said chamber and when in its lowerposition fits the of the chamber and closes the ports B B When the plugOis lifted to the upper part of the chamber, it stands above the saidports and permits the free passage of gas through the casing. To thetubular top of the valvecasing is attached'a screw-cap D, having anannular opening D surrounded by an inner conical downwardly-facmg valveseat D The valvelug O is provided at its top with a conical sur ace C,adapted to fit against said seat D when the said plug is held in itselevated position.

E indicates a supporting member which is destructible by heat. Saidmember E, Fig. 3, is shown as having the form of a ring or link made upof a number of separate strips of sheet metal E connected byreadily-fusible metal or other suitable fusible substance. The plug 0 isprovided at its upper end with a hook G which engages the lower part ofthe sup orting member E.

As s own in Fig. 1, F indicates a lever which is pivoted between itsends to a standard F, rising from the valve-casing and herein shown asattached to the cap D. Said lever is arranged horizontally, and-one ofits ends is engaged with the destructible supporting member E, for thispurpose being located centrally over the valve-plug C. The opposite orouter end of said lever extends outwardly and has adjustable connectionwith the casing by means enabling the outer end of the lever to bedrawndownwardly and the inner. end thereof elevated, so as to bringupwardstrain or tension upon the connecting member, and thus hold the plugCwith its upper end in tight or close engagement with thedownwardly-facing seat D of the cap D. The connection between the outerend of the lever and the valve-casing is shown asformed IIO by means ofa horizontal arm F formed on the cap D, and a screw-threaded rod F whichis secured at its lower end to the outer ver with nuts F F the upper nutF acting on the upper surface of the lever to depress the same accordingto the amount of tensionrequired upon the supporting member E, 1

while the lower nut F serves merely .to prevent the outer end of thelever being de pressed and the connecting member E ruptured byaccidental pressure upon the outer end of the lever.

In the modified form of construction embodying the main features of myinvention illustrated in Fig. 2 the main valve-closure consists of aplug G, which operates in the same manner as the valve-plug C,heretofore described, to close the passage for gas through thevalve-casing. In this instance a separate valve disk or plug H serves asa closure for the opening in the outer wall of the valve-casing. Saiddisk II is connected with the plug G'by means of a loop G on the plugand a hook H on the disk. Said disk H is pro-; vided at its top with ahook H which engages the lower part of a connecting memberf E,constructed in the same manner as here-i inbefore described inconnection with Figs. 1 In this instance, moreover, the de% vices forexerting upward or outward tension on the connecting member areconstructedf differently than those illustrated in Fig. 1 the sameconsisting of a yoke-piece J, con-- nected at its ends with the top ofthe cap K, which closes the top of the valve-casing and? of arch form atits upper part, together with an adjusting-screw I, having a hook atits; lower end which engages the upper part of' the said connectingmember E and passing and 3.

through a vertical aperture in the central part of the yoke, saidadjusting-screw having a nut I above the yoke by which the same may bedrawn upwardly through the yoke and the desired tension thereby appliedto the connecting member as necessary for drawing and holding the disk Hclosely and firmly 'aglainst the downwardly-facing seatf K whicsurrounds the opening K in the It is to be observed in connectionwiththe two forms of the invention illustrated in Figs. land 2 that, asshown in Fig. 2, the closure (the disk H) for the opening in the outerwall of the casing is made as a part or piece separate from the mainvalve-closure, but is permanently connected therewith, so that the twoparts move together, while in the conconical surface adapted to fit thedownwardly-facing seat surrounding the opening in the outer wall of thecasing, constitutes, in

effect, the closure for the said opening,while the lower part of saidplug constitutes the main closure for the valve. It follows, therefore,that the two forms of device illustrated correspond generally instructure and produce the same general results, notwithstanding the factthat in the form shown in Fig. 1 the main closure and the closure forthe opening in the outer wall of the valve-casing are made integral orin one piece, while in the form of the device shown in Fig. 2 the mainvalve-closure and the closure for the said opening in the outer wall ofthe casing are made in two separate pieces permanently linked orconnected together.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a valve-casing havingan'opening in its outer wall surrounded by an inwardly-facing conicalseat, of a movable valve-closure in said casing, a movable closuremember for said openingrhaving a conical surface adapted to fit saidseat'and connected with the valve-closure, said movable closure memberforming a :part-of the outer wall of the casing and means for'holdingthe valve-closure in its open positionandthe said'closure memberagainstits seat, embracing a supporting member destructibleby heat which isconnected with the outer face of the closure member, I and means onithevalve-casing connected with the outer end of thesupported member forapplying tension to the latter.

2. The combination with a valve-casing havingan opening initsouterwallsurrounded byan inwardly-faoing conical seat, of :a movablevalve-closure in said-casing, a'movable closure member for saidopeiiinghaving a conical surface adapted to :fit said seat and connectedwith the valve-closure, said movable closure member forming a .partof:the

- outer wall of the casing,and means for holding the valveclosure initsopenpositionand the said closure memberagainst its-seat, embracing a'destructible supporting member having the form of a ring orlink made orbuilt upofa plurality of pieces of-metal joined/to each other by solderor the=like,said ring=or link being connected with the outer face of theclosure member, and means onthevalvecasing connected with the outerendof said ring or link for applyingtension to thelatter. 3. Thecombination with a valve-casing IIO havingan opening in its outerwa'llsurrounded by an inwardly-facing conical seat, of :a movablevalve-closurein said casing, amovable closure member for said openinghaving a conical surface-adapted to fit said seat and connected with thevalve-closure, said movable closure member forming a part'of thestruction shown in Fig. 1 the upper part of i the valve-plug O, which isprovided with a outer wall of the casing andmeans for 'holding the saidvalve-closure in its open position having the-form of a ring orllIIk'WhIOlIiS-OOH- nected with the outer face of the closure men1- ber,and means for applying tension to said "ring or link embracing a leverpivoted to the.

havin an o enin in its outer Wallsurrounded by an inwardly-facingconical seat, 'of a movable valve-closurein said casing, a movableclosure member for'said opening having a conical surface adaptedto fitsaid seat and connected with the valve-closure, said movable closuremember forming a part o1 the outer Wall of the casing, and meansforholding the said valve-closure in its open position and the said closuremember against its seat, embracing a destructible supporting mem berhaving the form of a ring orlink which is connected with the outer faceof the closure member, and means for applying tension to said ring orlink embracing a lever pivoted to the. valve casing with its inner endengaged with the outer end of the ring or link, andan adjustableconnection between said lever and valve-casing embracing ascrew-threaded rod provided witha nut.

5. The combination with a valve-casing having an opening in its outerwall surrounded by an inwardly-facing conical seat, of a movablevalve-closure in said casing, the outer end of which is adapted to filland close said opening and is provided with a conical bearing-sur aceadapted to fit against said in- "Wardly-facing seat, and means forholding the valve-closure in its open position and incon- "tact with theseat, embracing a supporting member, destructible by heat, which isconnected with the outer end of the closure, and means on thevalve-casing connected with the outer end of the supporting member forapplying tension to the latter. In testimony that I claim the foregoingas my invention I aflix my signature, in presence p)f'two witnesses,this 11th day of August, A.

ADOLPH W. J ENOZEWSKY.

